AUTHORS:

Arumona E.A., Antosiewicz T.

ABSTRACT:

Strong coupling of light and matter leads to the formation of hybrid light-matter states (polaritons), whose properties are distinct from those of the constituent elements. In this context, self-hybridization, in which the material transitions and optical modes are provided by the same entity, is a promising route to realize strong light-matter coupling within a single system. The key requirement for self-hybridization is an efficient way to confine selected modes of light while simultaneously providing enough oscillator strength to overcome any decay rates in the system. In this work, we explore the propensity of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) to facilitate strong coupling and self-hybridization when integrated into hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) nanoparticles. HMM resonators offer two optical modes (electric and magnetic dipoles) in deeply subwavelength nanostructures, ensuring good confinement of light and small mode volumes. Simultaneously, TMDs support excitons with large oscillator strengths, which can ensure strong light-matter coupling. Using T-matrix and FDTD calculations, we show how the most often used TMDs: MoS₂, WS₂, MoSe₂, and WSe₂ can be incorporated into HMM nanoparticles and the limitations that must be overcome to yield strong coupling of their excitons to both the electric and magnetic dipoles. Additionally, we demonstrate the tunability of these devices, providing insights into the design of self-hybridized nanophotonic systems with potential applications in optoelectronics or quantum technologies.

Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2026, vol. 130(24), pp. 8426-8437, doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.6c00029